


bookends

by civillove



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-23
Updated: 2015-03-23
Packaged: 2018-03-19 05:22:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3597927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civillove/pseuds/civillove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Heat prickles under Blaine’s skin at Sebastian’s cavalier attitude, his eyes still tracing his form with interest. But he has no curiosity for what he’s saying. Like a book on display bought only for the cover itself, it’s pages never read because the design on the front is far more interesting.</p>
<p>“You’re kind of rude.” Blaine states, his hazel eyes flashing with frustration.</p>
<p>Sebastian smiles slowly, tilting his head. “And you’re kind of cute.”  </p>
<p>Also known as that bookstore AU that no one really asked for! Except Yesenia and Anis on Twitter. Hope you guys like *tackle hugs*</p>
            </blockquote>





	bookends

Blaine’s little bookstore and coffee shop _BookEnds_ has always done well, even in a city as busy and on the fast track as New York. This shop has been his dream since he was young, sitting on his father’s lap, falling in love with book after book being read to him by fireplace light. Glowing embers fading into cracked and burned wood, his father’s voice still fresh in his ears long after he was gone. This is a piece Blaine can keep with him, between the pages, in the spines of his favorites on a shelf.

He’s lucky. He couldn’t have imagined owning a shop in New York, let alone down the street from another popular bookstore that has been there twice as long as his. _Page-Turner_ isowned by a tall and lanky gentleman he’s seen walk past his shop a few times but has never really talked to very often, offers a wide selection of stacks that would make any bookstore owner jealous. He’s been in there a few times looking around (totally not checking out the competition _or_ the owner because that…that would be totally wrong. And inappropriate) and it’s a gorgeous set up. High ceilings, sections mapped out between couches and extravagant fireplaces, a café tucked into one of its corners.

The place smells like coffee and book pages.

Blaine allows his eyes to linger on Sebastian sometimes (thanks to the barista the fifth time he wanders in trying to look casual and failing he now knows his name) when he browses through the section of Fiction. He has bright green eyes, like leaves when the sun hits them just right. He’s tall, has tousled brown hair, round glasses on some days that frame his face.

He’s got freckles on his cheeks, not that he’s gotten so close to notice or anything. He seems nice to the people he works with even though he has this tell-tale nose scrunch of discontent when he runs into people he _doesn’t_ like.

Blaine presses on the spine of a book as Sebastian moves around a table in his café, helping the barista pick up some mugs before running a hand through his hair. He’s just about to round the corner and leave before he turns and bumps right into him.

“Can I help you find something?” Sebastian asks, his eyes ticking down to Blaine’s lips for a moment before giving him a pleasant smile.

He opens and closes his mouth, his cheeks flushing at being caught. “I uh, no. Thank you. You have a great selection.”

Sebastian hums a moment. He seems to recognize him but there’s a disconnect with placing him. They’ve seen one another several times, made small talk, the only reason Blaine knows his name is because he’s _terrible_ at trying to be nonchalant. There’s a moment where a spark of something, annoyance maybe, shines in Sebastian’s eyes. But it’s gone the moment it appears.

“You look like you were looking for a specific section. Maybe something in the History or War stacks, seeing as how you obviously need pointers in stepping behind enemy lines.” His smile is sweet even though his words are sharp, it does something instantly to Blaine’s stomach.

He lets out a breathy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Really, I was just curious. I heard you had a great selection, I wanted to see what you had.”

Sebastian nods. “I didn’t get a name.”

“Blaine.” He reaches his hand out, to which Sebastian looks at for a moment before clasping firmly to shake.

“Nice to put a name to a face.” Sebastian’s thumb traces the inside of his wrist before he lets go, sending a shiver up Blaine’s spine. “Oh and for the record, no one is blaming you for wanting to stop in a few times. I have heard my _selection_ is quite nice to look at.”

Blaine rolls his eyes but a smile tugs the ends of his mouth. “I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.”

“I didn’t hear any denials coming out of your mouth.” Sebastian presses his glasses up the bridge of his nose before sticking his hands in his pockets.

He smiles, blush kissing his cheekbones before rocking back on his heels. “War section, hmm?”

Sebastian nods, pointing in the general direction to his left with a wave of his arm. The shorter turns a little and follows, slowly walking towards the section titled WAR NOVELS before allowing his eyes to glance over other sections. All the times he’s come in here, he’s never noticed how different Sebastian labels his sections. It’s alphabetical, obviously, but it’s not the typical way to do things. His own bookstore is categorized by genre, then author, then alphabetically.

But here, it’s more about different kinds of novels, or topics. There’s a section titled FRENCH NOVELS, another titled MYSTERY, more interesting there’s ones dedicated to LOVE and HEARTBREAK, TWEEN TERRORS and GAY HUMOR.

“Interesting cataloging.” Blaine comments, looking over his shoulder.

The taller shrugs his shoulder, leaning against the one side of the stacks as Blaine browses the other. “Sets me apart from the crowd.”

Blaine can literally _feel_ Sebastian’s eyes on him as he bends to look at certain shelves, a flush crawling up the back of his neck at the attention.

“You own _BookEnds?”_ Sebastian asks after a moment. “I thought only old women with cats and no sexual drives owned bookstores.”

He huffs out a scoff. “And you are?” Blaine turns to look at him. “You own this shop, don’t you?”

Sebastian crosses his arms over his chest. “Other than myself, of course.”

He ticks tongue off the roof of his mouth. “Of course. Not that it’s any of your business but the shop used to be my father’s. It was a tailor shop. I converted it when he died.”

“You’re making it very hard for me to hit on you.”

Heat prickles under Blaine’s skin at Sebastian’s cavalier attitude, his eyes still tracing his form with interest. But he has no curiosity for what he’s saying. Like a book on display bought only for the cover itself, it’s pages never read because the design on the front is far more interesting.

“You’re kind of rude.” Blaine states, his hazel eyes flashing with frustration.

Sebastian smiles slowly, tilting his head. “And you’re kind of cute.”

He scoffs and decides he better leave before he does something stupid like throw a book at him, or push him into the stacks. Blaine turns to head down the aisle, Sebastian’s voice following him as he goes.

“Will I see you tomorrow? Because we’re having a sale. Buy a book, get a coffee half off. I could point you in the direction of our anger management stacks?”

He’s not sure what infuriates him more; what he’s saying or the fact that Blaine can feel his eyes on his ass on the way out.

000

Blaine’s bookstore is very different from Sebastian’s. Not that he’s been thinking about him. Or anything. He’s not wasting his time thinking about assholes who try and flirt with him with book innuendos. He’s just not.

His store, however, is different in a few ways. It’s tucked into a corner of a street in Brooklyn, doesn’t have that many stacks and his café is a bit bigger than Sebastian’s (with a far better coffee choice, if someone were to ask him). He’s got tables, couches, and a few quiet corners with computers where kids can come in to do homework.

But what makes his bookstore a little bit different from the rest is, by far, his kids section.

That corner of the store has at least ten racks stacked with books of all shapes and sizes with brightly covered pages, tales of mystery, imagination and bravery. Some covers are matte finished, smooth to the touch, others with interactive colors and shapes, while some have glittery surfaces, rough like sandpaper. The stacks are surrounded with cardboard cutouts of trees, as high as the ceiling, paper monkeys swinging between tree branches, paper parrots sitting and watching with amusement. There are cardboard cutouts of bushes on the ground, near miniature sets of red tables and yellow chairs, paper elephants and lions sitting among bean-bag chairs and throw pillows.

Most of his best customers are kids. At least during the week; on their way home from or to school in the morning. Some stay for hours in that section, others come and go. Most adults come for the café or browse books and leave.

And not that he’s thinking about Sebastian, but he’s pretty sure if they _were_ comparing bookstores, he would win by a long shot.

Just ask any of his tiny, very important customers.

000

When he comes to work on Wednesday to open up the bookstore, there’s a small package waiting for him on the stoop. He scrunches his nose before picking it up, carrying it inside. Blaine doesn’t turn the ‘open’ sign around until a little after six, so he has time to sip on his coffee, get the store ready for the day and open this mystery package.

He tears open the newspaper the small box is wrapped in to realize it’s not a box at all.

It’s a book.

A smooth cover, light blue on top, gradient-style down until it bleeds into black. Silhouettes of soldiers litter the middle along with the slightly raised text as he runs his thumb over it.

_THE THINGS THEY CARRIED_  
By Tim ‘O Brien

He’s heard of it, is pretty sure he has it somewhere in his bookstore on a shelf, maybe gathering dust. But this one isn’t new. It’s been read before, countless times.

The pages are loved and some sentences are underlined with blue pen.

A note flutters out of the pages and falls to the floor, on top of his shoe. Blaine picks it up and scoffs, shaking his head.

_My favorite from my WAR NOVELS section.  
I think you’d like it. _

_xx Sebastian_

Blaine glares long and hard at the note before he stuffs it inside the cover of the book and shoves it aside, behind some paperwork near the cash register.

Whether he likes it or not, this _guy_ has gotten under his skin. They’ve had a few encounters since that night in the bookstore, since Blaine had attempted to tell him about his father. Sebastian has tried to talk to him, buy him coffee, ask him out on a date. He’s been nice, polite even, but Blaine’s not interested.

He can’t be. He doesn’t want to be (alright, that may or may not be a lie).

But he can’t. So he puts the book under a pile of papers and he doesn’t think long and hard about whether the ‘xs’ in Sebastian’s note are kisses or hugs.

000

It’s a slow day, which isn’t quite unusual for Saturdays. Kids don’t have school and everyone in New York is looking for ways to spend their weekend which doesn’t involve being stuck in a book. Especially if the weather is nice.

He lets out a soft sigh, leaning against the counter as a few customers come in and order lattes, picking up newspapers to read at their tables. He chews on his lower lip, glancing at the stack of papers that almost feel like they’re staring at him.

The corner of the book Sebastian gave him is poking out, the sky blue part.

“It’s just a book.” He mutters under his breath, moving to brush papers aside. “What harm has ever come from reading a book.” Though he’s pretty sure some horror movies have started out like that.

Blaine runs his thumb over the cover again before opening it to a random page, his eyes instantly catching onto the underline sentence.

“… _you are filled with a hard, aching love for how the world could be and always should be, but now is not.”_

His finger traces the edge of the page, his mouth opening slightly. He’s always been a sucker for books, of the secrets that seem to hide between sentences and letters. Things he can’t exactly see but _feels_ instead.

The book is engrossing, it’s beautiful and terrifying and it’s the kind of book that sits in his bones for a while after he’s finished reading it.

He doesn’t notice the slow influx of kids until a little girl approaches him, dressed in a yellow dress. She tugs on his pant leg, causing him to snap out of reading his book. Sally, he’s seen her before, smiles up at her with a big toothy grin. She’s missing one of her lower ones, but it doesn’t make her any less pretty.

“Hey you.” Blaine kneels, tugging a little on her dress. “Don’t you look pretty today? Did you come looking for more books on pirates?”

She giggles and shakes her head, opening up her hand with a note. Blaine frowns and takes it from her, watching her run off towards the kids section at the back of his store.

He stares at it in disbelief as he opens it with a scowl.

_How’s the book? ;)_

Blaine crumples the note and throws it away. But he _does_ dive back into the book.

_“They’re all dead. But in a story, which is a kind of dreaming, the dead sometimes smile and sit up and return to the world. She lived through the summer and into the first part of September, and then she was dead. But in a story I can steal her soul. I can revive, at least briefly, that which is absolute and unchanging. In a story, miracles can happen.”_

Blaine swallows thickly, the words lining his veins, pumping throughout his body. His fingers press so hard on the edges of the book that he almost gives himself a few paper cuts. He’s not sure what he hates more; the fact that Sebastian gave him this book like a recommendation, like he _knows_ him so well or the fact that he actually really likes it.

That it reminds him of his father.

He just wants to finish it, put it aside, pretend he’s never opened it. And that’d be all well and good until kids start coming into his bookstore. At least one every half hour, sometimes three together if they’re related. One of them, Jimmy, a kid who is usually so happy and bouncy as he heads back to the kids section is being held by the hand of his older sister.

Jimmy is crying, a blubbering sort of sobbing that hurts him to see. He _also_ has a note in his hand, a matching one in his sister’s other hand, crumpled up in her fist.

“Your boyfriend is kind of a jerk.” She says, thrusting the note onto his lap. “I almost threw my coffee in his face.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s not…he’s not even my friend. Really.” Blaine blurts out but takes the note anyways; Jimmy’s sister looks _less_ than amused. And that just makes pink brush furiously over his cheeks. “Sorry?”

She scoffs and takes Jimmy back to the kids section without looking back at him.

_You do like the book, don’t you. I knew you would._

Blaine groans and throws the note aside, opening the other one.

_It’s okay to admit you like the book. And it’s also okay to admit you like me. Just a little. What can I say? I get under people’s skin ;)_

And that _last_ note is really all he can take. He’s got a pile of notes on his lap from happy to upset kids wandering into his bookstore and he nearly stomps down the street to Sebastian’s store.

Blaine throws open the door, a little bell dinging signaling that there is a customer.

Sebastian looks up from the café, he’s at a table, sipping on a coffee. “Well, it’s about time. I was running out of children. I think the news has spread that I’m just sending them down to your bookstore, they’ve stopped coming in.”

“You can’t keep sending little kids down to my bookstore with notes because I won’t talk to you.” He snaps, throwing the bunch of notes at him.

Sebastian smiles up at him. Which just makes this all the more _infuriating_ because the thing is? Sebastian is handsome. Gorgeous, even. Definitely Blaine’s type and obviously Blaine is his in turn. But he refuses to be attracted to him. Refuses. He can’t be _attracted_ to him and annoyed with him at the same time.

“Yes I can. Besides, they did so willingly.” Sebastian says with a shrug, motioning towards his bookstore. “I don’t have a kid section—”

Blaine stares at him, his mouth opening. “You don’t have…a kid section.” He interrupts, shaking his head. “You have _ridiculous_ sections like HANDCUFFS, NC-17 and ETC,” He points towards the far wall for that one. “--and HEMINGWAY’S WHISKEY CABINET, I don’t even know what that means, but you don’t. have. a _kids_ section.” He comments slowly.

Sebastian continues as if his small little outburst hadn’t happened. “I may have also told them that a monster under their bed would probably eat them if they didn’t, so.”

“Unbelievable.”

“And charming.” Sebastian smiles up at him, motioning to the table. “Sit with me.”

He lets out a slow breath, his fingers itching to pull out the chair and do it. Because, really, he’s never met _anyone_ that’s been able to so successfully get under his skin. He has no idea whether that’s a good or bad thing—but Sebastian seems like the type of person who pulls you in until you can’t get yourself out.

Blaine knows he shouldn’t. He probably shouldn’t. But for some reason all he can think about is that _book_ Sebastian left on his bookstore stoop.

“I probably shouldn’t, thanks to you I have a bookstore full of children down the street.”

Sebastian scrunches his nose. “Gross.” He waves a hand at him in disinterest. “It’s not like you’re the only one who works there. You have an entire staff, the store will still survive if you’re not there.”

He’s right, of course. So against his better judgement he sits.

“You like the book?” He asks, leaning back in his chair.

Blaine licks his lips, his ankles brushing over Sebastian’s calves. _I love it._ “It’s good.” He nods, not sure what he should do with his hands, suddenly nervous. “Why did you give it to me?”

Sebastian looks down at his coffee cup, like the words are somehow printed alongside the rim. “I was brash that night I talked to you in here. I…was…” His hand tightens around his coffee mug so hard that Blaine swears he hears the ceramic start to crack. “If your _ass_ hadn’t been so damn distracting.”

Blaine’s demeanor softens a little, shoulders relaxing. He watches him for a moment before a soft smile tugs along his lower lip. “You don’t apologize very often do you?”

Sebastian smirks, shaking his head. “I’m rarely sorry. What a waste of time.”

Blaine laughs, can’t help it. “And here I was just beginning to like you.”

“Would you just let me get this out?” Sebastian rolls his eyes and sets his jaw after a moment. “You said something about your father. I may not know you very well but I can tell he meant something to you.”

“He did.” He swallows thickly, like he’s trying to force down cotton. “He _does.”_ Blaine corrects.

“The bookstore is for him?” Sebastian asks but there’s a warmth to his voice that he hadn’t noticed before. A careful gentleness that Blaine is sure that not a lot of people see.

Blaine nods a little. “And for me.” He rubs the back of his neck, glancing around his bookstore a moment. “You should really get a kids section.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “Absolutely not.”

He grins. “Come on, you have the space. You could create a little coffee shop theme for them—”

“You had me saying _no_ at ‘coffee shop theme’.” Sebastian puts his hand up. “What are you like the patron saint for children space in bookstores or what.” His voice is amused, eyes a bright green color as he traces them over Blaine’s face.

He almost shivers at the attention, dipping his chin as he can’t force away a smile. “Just a suggestion.” He stands from the table, pushing in the chair as he does. “I should go. Have a bookstore to run.” He chuckles a little.

“Date?” Sebastian asks, standing from the table too. “One date.”

Blaine smirks, shaking his head as a flush pinks his cheekbones. “That depends, will you stop sending me children-shaped notes Pied Piper?”

Sebastian grins, slow and devious. “I can only make so many promises.”

The shorter just shakes his head and turns to leave, feeling his eyes on him once again as he presses the door open and lets it close behind him.

000

_“That’s what stories are for. Stories are for joining the past to the future. Stories are for those late hours in the night when you can’t remember how you got from where you were to where you are. Stories are for eternity, when memory is erased, when there is nothing to remember except the story.”_

Blaine closes the last few pages of the book, setting it aside. His eyes wander over to a picture of him and his father in a simple black frame on his nightstand before he turns off his bedside lamp and sleeps.

000

They go out on a few dates. A few turn into a lot more. Into dinners and breakfasts and spending the night. Blaine eventually returns Sebastian’s book with a kiss to his lips.

But Sebastian lets him keep it, folds it back into his hands with a soft kiss to his forehead. That somehow means more to him than he can find the words to say.

When Sebastian wanders into Blaine’s bookstore on a Sunday he’s in the middle of talking to a boy’s parents in his café, instantly scooping their child up onto his shoulders to take him back into the kids section. It’s one of the things he loves most about owning a bookstore, he has his regulars, people who have become his friends.

His second family.

He sets the boy down on one of the bean bag chairs. “I’ll get you your dinosaur books, Riley.” Blaine stands, turning to reach onto a stack only to be tugged out of the section by Sebastian.

The shorter laughs until his boyfriend presses him against the History section, shaking his head. “Such a bad influence, I was with a customer.”

“Riley can wait, the dinosaurs have been dead for billions of years.”

Blaine presses a soft kiss on Sebastian’s lower lip, can taste the coffee on his skin. “Nice to see you this morning. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Speaking of _pleasure,”_ Sebastian grins, which only earns him an elbow to his ribs. He lets out a short breath, an ‘ouch’ following before he straightens his back. “I thought about what you said. Maybe I should have a kids section.”

“You don’t even like kids.” Blaine chuckles, his arms wrapping around Sebastian’s hips.

“No, I don’t,” Sebastian agrees, his hand lifting to cup the side of Blaine’s neck. “But you do.” His thumb traces along his jawline. “As long as there’s no cut-outs of zoo animals, that’s a bit creepy.”

Blaine rolls his eyes but there’s an excitement to him, bouncing off his skin, it’s visible at the idea of Sebastian getting a kids section in his bookstore. “Really?”

“Mhm.” Sebastian presses a kiss to his cheekbone, down his cheek, nose brushing his skin.

“You knew how much I wanted a kid section at your store, even though I mostly mentioned it to tease you.” Blaine whispers, inching closer to his body. “You also won me over with a _book._ Am I that easy to read?”

They’re several stacks over from guests, for a Sunday the bookstore isn’t filed to the brim with people. Mostly a few customers in his café, Riley in the kids section, probably browsing through books on astronauts with Blaine absent to give him his dinosaur ones.

“It’s not that,” Sebastian assures him, stepping in closer, crowding his space. Their bodies are pressed together to a point where almost every body part of his is touching some part of Blaine’s. His fingers squeeze the taller’s side, tugging, almost wanting him closer even though he knows that isn’t quite possible. “It’s that _you_ were able to read _me._ I’ve never had someone do that before.”

“What can I say, I’m one of a kind.” Blaine smirks but runs his thumb over Sebastian’s side, back and forth, conveying how much his words mean to him through touch.

“And cheeky too.” The taller pulls Blaine into his body, his hand poking at one of his ticklish side until he squirms.

“I have to get back to work.” Blaine laughs, trying to push him away but not really succeeding in doing so, smiling against his mouth. Mostly because he doesn’t want to leave the circle of his arms.

Sebastian takes advantage of their proximity and just smiles, nipping at his upper lip. “How about instead of work we browse the stacks back at my bookstore?” He bites his lower lip, a glint of something playful that makes Blaine laugh. “I’ve just put in a new Erotica section.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you have not read The Things They Carried, I highly suggest you do. Even if you don't like war novels, it's something every writer should read. Poetically beautiful and my utmost favorite. Always inspiring.


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